How GIS Has Changed Our World

climate change

Check out this mapthat shows the average fine particulate matter (PM 2.5) (µg/m³) by county for the year 2011. From the map we can see clusters with a higher average indicated by the darker shading. For instance, we can see a cluster consisting counties within for Colorado, Nebraska, Kansas and Wyoming. It is also apparent there are higher concentrations in many Southern, Midwestern and Northeastern states compared to western states. States such as, Indiana, Ohio, Tennessee and Kentucky predominantly have a higher average.

Particulate Matter (PM) are small particles that contain microscopic solids and liquid droplets that are suspended in the air which can be inhaled and cause health effects. PM range in size, but particles less than 10 mm present the greatest threat. Some particles are emitted directly from a source such as, smokestacks, fires, construction sites, etc. and others are a result of complex atmospheric reactions [1].

Check out this map that shows the average daily PM 2.5 by county in 2011. From the graph we see a three distinct darkly shaded clusters indicating a high amount of daily exposure. The first cluster includes counties in Nevada and Utah. The second cluster includes counties within Colorado, Wyoming, Kansas and Nebraska. The third and most prominent includes counties within various southern states such as, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia and North and South Carolina. In contrast, we can see states such as Oregon, Texas, California and Arizona are shaded yellow indicating a lower daily average.

Climate change is always a hot topic, literally. With the melting of the ice caps, the unstable polar vortex which influences the jet stream, and with temperatures becoming more extreme, it is no mystery that sea level is continuing to rise. We wanted to visualize the threat of sea level rise by making a map that shows the potential projections of how our coasts in New Jersey and New York could eventual look.

We zoomed in to focus on New York City and the Northeastern part of the New Jersey coastline. We gathered the information for sea level rise from usgs.gov and then created the map using our Mappler technology. The first image is what the coast currently looks like, with the second and third images showing possible sea level rise projections. Image 2 shows sea level rise projections for 2100 if climate change continues without us taking action. This projection shows a 2m rise, with the dark blue border showing the potential new coastline. Image 3 is the worse case scenario for the year 2100, meaning that this is what scientists are projecting if again no action towards stopping or slowing climate change takes place and if the Greenland ice sheet melts. Image 3 shows a 7m sea level rise, and as you can see the land taken is massive. These maps show the scary reality that we could face if climate change is not taken seriously. You think that the population and its growth are bad now? How about when we then have to face displacement of part of the population because land where they use to live is covered in water? Take action, educate on climate change, and do your part!

To see the map and view more of the NJ and NY coast projections click here!

Trees help city areas with reducing pollution, they help to improve health, and overall bring a sense of calm to a place known for fast-pace living. Here is a map we created on Mappler using data from the TreesCount! 2015 by the NYC Department of Parks and Recreation. This map is color-coded based on condition of the trees.

Looking at the density screenshot, it is interesting to view where the best versus worst rated trees are located. The photo on the left shows where the worst rated trees are, and the right shows the trees rated as the best. Lets keep adding trees to our concrete jungle! Click here to see the site.

This really interesting map on International Institute for Environment and Development’s website, iied.org, shows populations of cities with more then 500,000 people from 1800 to the predicted 2030. The visual that this map gives shows how big our world really is. With a little more than 7 billion people right now, by 2030 that amount will surely grow. Makes you think about what the health, environment, food and water situation will look like when the predicted population for 2030 will be more then 8 billion. I think that if we can increase education efforts on population rise and conservation efforts, we can help to lessen that number or at least be more prepared.

Below is a screenshot from iied.org of cities in 1800 that had more than 500,000 people. London and Beijing had more than a million and Guangzhou and Paris are between 500,000 and a million people.

Looking at 2015, you can see that 1,029 cities had populations larger than 500,000. Take a look at their site and see what the projection is for the year 2030! Thanks IIED for the cool map!

all information for this post from iied.org. contact vertices@gis.com. click here for the site.

I think that it is incredibly important to be aware of your carbon footprint and have an idea of how much energy and resources you are using. I am a student at Rutgers and in my Energy and Society class one of our assignments was to calculate our household carbon footprint and see what we can change to lower our carbon count. One of the sites that I used was put together by The University of California at Berkeley, and can be found on coolclimate.berkeley.edu/carboncalculator. All you have to do is fill in some information in the five categories- Intro, Travel, Housing, Food and Shopping. Once all the sections have been filled out based on your personal energy usage and everyday choices, you’ll see what your total footprint is which is calculated on how much tons of carbon you use per year.

What I liked most about this site is at the end, it gives you options as to what you can do to lower your footprint. The site gives you things you can do at no cost and options for donations to offset your emissions. Check out the site and see what you can do to have a smaller carbon footprint .

Posted by Eva Gerrits, Intern. Click here to see the site. contact at gis@vertices.com

Sheridan Glacier

This icy glacier, located right outside Cordova, Alaska, is a beautiful spot that has been a popular location to visit while in the area. There are hiking trails, nearby skiing areas, and walkable glacier areas with ice caves. This breathtaking place of nature unfortunately is seeing some changes in size which could be related to shifts in temperature. On http://www.mappler.net/sheridan/ you can see the changes from an aerial view.

This photo was taken on April 26, 2003

As you can see, there are quite noticeable changes between the top photo and the bottom photo. The ice is being separated further and further apart and looks like the result of temperature change.

This photo was taken on August 12, 2013

Visit the site, and check up on how this glacier is doing!

Posted by Eva Gerrits, Intern. Click here to see the site. Contact at gis@vertices.com